In Photos: Arctic Shipwreck Solves 170-Year-Old Mystery

An unexpected find

Sir John Franklin and his men set out from England for the Arctic in search of a Northwest Passage aboard two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror. In 1846, the two ships became entrapped in ice near King William Island, never to be heard from again. Franklin died there on June 11, 1847, according to a note found later on King William Island. Dives to the site of HMS Erebus (HMS Terror remains missing) have pulled up plenty of telling artifacts, including a medicine bottle, buttons, plates and even a cannon. Here an image of the shipwreck released by the Canadian Authorities.

Checking out the find

Jointly, the undiscovered wrecks of Erebus and Terror had been labeled national historical site in Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that the discovery "has solved one of Canada’s greatest mysteries."

Docked

The M/V Martin Bergmann at the Cambridge Bay wharf with the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier at anchor in the background.

Exploring the HMS Erebus

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A diver explores the wreck of the HMS Erebus in April 2015 during a 5-day expedition. The Erebus was one of two ships of the doomed Franklin expedition, which launched from England in 1845 in search of the Northwest Passage. Until 2014, no one knew where the ship had come to rest.

Under the Ice

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists used hot water to bore through 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice in remote Queen Maud Gulf in order to dive to the wreck of the HMS Erebus. Canadian military support made the research expedition possible.

Recovering a Cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

In April, archaeologists pulled 14 artifacts from the HMS Erebus wreck. The largest was this 680 pound (309 kilogram) cannon. (In September 2014, the team recovered the ship's bell.) This cannon was one of three guns that sailed on the HMS Erebus and is inscribed "I&H King - 1812," revealing its date of manufacture and its makers, John and Henry King of the Royal Brass Foundary in Woolwich, England.

Receiving the cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists and their support team stand on the ice over one of the access holes for the HMS Erebus wreck site, hoisting one of the ship's cannons to the surface. Researchers camped out for five days on the ice, diving to the wreck from 8 in the morning to 10 at night.

Cannon closeup

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Stamped on the HMS Erebus cannon are the initials "GR," surrounded by the motto "HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE" (shamed be he who thinks evil of it) and topped by a crown. This was the cipher of King George III.

Hook block

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Chief archaeologist Ryan Harris of Parks Canada examines a hook block recovered from the HMS Erebus wreck. This metal piece is part of the rigging of the ship, and may have been used to lower one of the ship's boats or in the Erebus' standing rigging.

HMS Erebus' rigging

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A closer look at the hook block from the HMS Erebus. This piece of rigging is made of a copper alloy and is marked with the inscription "6 1/4," which is the regulation size of the block in inches, according to Parks Canada.

Lost button

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A button from a Royal Navy tunic that must have belonged to one of the 13 Royal Marines who sailed on the Franklin voyage. Seven of these men were on the HMS Erebus, and the other six were on her sister ship, the HMS Terror, Harris told Live Science.

Second button

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A second Royal Navy tunic button found on the HMS Erebus. Researchers aren't sure if both buttons come from the same garment or not. The buttons sport a wreath of laurel leaves and a crowned anchor, a design used after 1812.

Recovered cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A full-length view of the cannon recovered from the HMS Erebus. This gun shot 6-pound cannonballs and would have been brought on the voyage just in case of emergency, said Harris. It may have been sitting on the deck, or it may have been stowed in Franklin's own chambers, Harris added. Ice damage to the ship spilled many of the contents of Franklin's room out of the wreck.

Found plate

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists discovered this plate in the common mess area on the HMS Erebus. That's unusual, Harris said, because generally only officers would use china. The discovery of plates aboard the ship meshes with an 1879 Inuk account by a man named Puhtoorak who said he'd boarded the deserted, icebound ship before it went down and found knifes, forks and plates in complete order.

Ceramic civilization

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A detailed look at one of the ceramic plates found aboard the HMS Erebus. This plate was decorated with the common blue willow pattern and is stamped "Royal Patent Staffordshire China."

Erebus china

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Another plate found on the HMS Erebus boasts a flow blue Whampoa pattern, another popular design. The pattern was meant to represent Whampoa Island, China. On the back of this plate is a stamp with the word "Whampoa" surrounded by a blue flourish.

Sun-powered light

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Some of the HMS Erebus artifacts reveal the ingenuity of sailors in the days of 19th-century technology. This glass prism was an illuminator, which sat in the upper decking and directed sunlight to the dim lower deck below.

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An unexpected find

Sir John Franklin and his men set out from England for the Arctic in search of a Northwest Passage aboard two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror. In 1846, the two ships became entrapped in ice near King William Island, never to be heard from again. Franklin died there on June 11, 1847, according to a note found later on King William Island. Dives to the site of HMS Erebus (HMS Terror remains missing) have pulled up plenty of telling artifacts, including a medicine bottle, buttons, plates and even a cannon. Here an image of the shipwreck released by the Canadian Authorities.

Checking out the find

Jointly, the undiscovered wrecks of Erebus and Terror had been labeled national historical site in Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that the discovery "has solved one of Canada’s greatest mysteries."

Docked

The M/V Martin Bergmann at the Cambridge Bay wharf with the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier at anchor in the background.

Exploring the HMS Erebus

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A diver explores the wreck of the HMS Erebus in April 2015 during a 5-day expedition. The Erebus was one of two ships of the doomed Franklin expedition, which launched from England in 1845 in search of the Northwest Passage. Until 2014, no one knew where the ship had come to rest.

Under the Ice

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists used hot water to bore through 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice in remote Queen Maud Gulf in order to dive to the wreck of the HMS Erebus. Canadian military support made the research expedition possible.

Recovering a Cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

In April, archaeologists pulled 14 artifacts from the HMS Erebus wreck. The largest was this 680 pound (309 kilogram) cannon. (In September 2014, the team recovered the ship's bell.) This cannon was one of three guns that sailed on the HMS Erebus and is inscribed "I&H King - 1812," revealing its date of manufacture and its makers, John and Henry King of the Royal Brass Foundary in Woolwich, England.

Receiving the cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists and their support team stand on the ice over one of the access holes for the HMS Erebus wreck site, hoisting one of the ship's cannons to the surface. Researchers camped out for five days on the ice, diving to the wreck from 8 in the morning to 10 at night.

Cannon closeup

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Stamped on the HMS Erebus cannon are the initials "GR," surrounded by the motto "HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE" (shamed be he who thinks evil of it) and topped by a crown. This was the cipher of King George III.

Hook block

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Chief archaeologist Ryan Harris of Parks Canada examines a hook block recovered from the HMS Erebus wreck. This metal piece is part of the rigging of the ship, and may have been used to lower one of the ship's boats or in the Erebus' standing rigging.

HMS Erebus' rigging

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A closer look at the hook block from the HMS Erebus. This piece of rigging is made of a copper alloy and is marked with the inscription "6 1/4," which is the regulation size of the block in inches, according to Parks Canada.

Lost button

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A button from a Royal Navy tunic that must have belonged to one of the 13 Royal Marines who sailed on the Franklin voyage. Seven of these men were on the HMS Erebus, and the other six were on her sister ship, the HMS Terror, Harris told Live Science.

Second button

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A second Royal Navy tunic button found on the HMS Erebus. Researchers aren't sure if both buttons come from the same garment or not. The buttons sport a wreath of laurel leaves and a crowned anchor, a design used after 1812.

Recovered cannon

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A full-length view of the cannon recovered from the HMS Erebus. This gun shot 6-pound cannonballs and would have been brought on the voyage just in case of emergency, said Harris. It may have been sitting on the deck, or it may have been stowed in Franklin's own chambers, Harris added. Ice damage to the ship spilled many of the contents of Franklin's room out of the wreck.

Found plate

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Archaeologists discovered this plate in the common mess area on the HMS Erebus. That's unusual, Harris said, because generally only officers would use china. The discovery of plates aboard the ship meshes with an 1879 Inuk account by a man named Puhtoorak who said he'd boarded the deserted, icebound ship before it went down and found knifes, forks and plates in complete order.

Ceramic civilization

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

A detailed look at one of the ceramic plates found aboard the HMS Erebus. This plate was decorated with the common blue willow pattern and is stamped "Royal Patent Staffordshire China."

Erebus china

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Another plate found on the HMS Erebus boasts a flow blue Whampoa pattern, another popular design. The pattern was meant to represent Whampoa Island, China. On the back of this plate is a stamp with the word "Whampoa" surrounded by a blue flourish.

Sun-powered light

Credit: Copyright Parks Canada

Some of the HMS Erebus artifacts reveal the ingenuity of sailors in the days of 19th-century technology. This glass prism was an illuminator, which sat in the upper decking and directed sunlight to the dim lower deck below.